


Spice in My Sugar

by Ayearandaday



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: A storage room, Aiming for Hallmark, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And everything is resolved, And plays dirty, And so does Paige, Background complicated sister-sister relationships, Baking Competition, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben doesn't know how to talk to pretty girls, Ben get your mind out of the gutter, Ben is a bit entitled, Ben is no idiot, Ben is not pleased, Ben is smitten straight away, Ben is so into it, Ben's Backstory, Besotted Ben, But better and by Rian, Can Naberrie's win?, Defensive Rey, Don't say I didn't warn you, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Feral Rey (Star Wars), Finn and Rose get together, Finn has a crush on Rose, Finn is lost, Finn spills the beans, For being extra T-rated, Grumpy Rey, Guess where this is heading, HEA, He knows what he wants, He only wanted to help, He's in for a treat, Hope the ending is satisfying, How did Plutt get qualified?, Hux and Phasma are so extra, Hux and Phasma are tough, I FORGOT A TAG, I tried to hint with the title, I wonder what he's up to, I wonder what should we do with them?, Idiots in Love, If we can't have one bed we do what we can, Is that a good thing though?, It's Plutt again, It's all about ginger, Leia has her priorities straight, Light Angst, Locked In, Luke found zen, Luke is a wild card, Luke is careless, Luke is sneaky, Luke's questionable business practices, Married Couple, No one hurts his favorite cook, Not today Snoke, Oh look, One Big Happy Family, One round to go, Paige has issues, Plutt being a dick, Plutt being an asshole, Poe has great ideas, Poe is a flirt, Poe is cheeky and sneaky, Poor Ben, Pregnancy, Pretty pies, Protective Ben Solo, Protective Ben strikes again, Redeemed Ben Solo, Rey Needs A Hug (Star Wars), Rey handles everything alone, Rey is Not Pleased, Rey is a little minx, Rey is a sweetheart, Rey is fierce, Rey is guarded, Rey is sassy when provoked, Rey is too kind for her own good, Rey likes watching Ben work, Rey mellows a little, Rose and Finn get their own HEA, Rose and Paige are competing too?, Rose has a crush on Finn, Rose has chocolate addiction, Rose has even better ideas, She needs no rescue, Slow Burn, Small Towns, Snoke shows his face, Soft Ben Solo, Someone has a date, Someone is being cheeky, Teamwork, Teamwork is Dreamwork, The Author Regrets Nothing, The Plot Thickens, There's a reason Leia has no grandkids, They are going to the contest, They will get their own Hallmark movie, Traditions, Tropes, Uh-oh, Ultimate HEA for everyone, Who are those new cooks?, Yes it refers to multiple couples, You know what?, You've already figured it out, and a chatterbox, and a handful, and playful, and sad backstory, and she's not ashamed to admit it, but he hides it, but no they won't hug each other, everyone knows everyone, i'm sappy, it's still a happy story, rose has issues, she hates receiving help, sorry about that, sort off, the bakery struggles, they are being difficult, think of it as a pinch of salt in your pastry, very subtle, yet - Freeform, you know me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27736972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayearandaday/pseuds/Ayearandaday
Summary: “I’d like to talk to Rey.”The girl nodded. “I’m listening.”“No, I want to talk to Rey,” he pressed.She looked at him expectantly. “Yes?”And then it clicked. The faceless dude who had charmed the pants off his parents and this alluring freckled beauty were one and the same. Fuck his life.“But…” Ben gaped like a fish, “you’re a woman.”The girl’s huff puffed her chest and crap, he didn’t need to imagine what she looked like under her apron. “So I’ve been told.”After finding out that his family decided to give their bakery to a virtual stranger Ben returns to his hometown to reclaim his heirloom. It doesn't go the way he expected. Maybe it's for the best.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 119
Kudos: 202
Collections: Ijustfellintothissendhelp





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Many-many-many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley! Yes, I took your title suggestion and played with it a bit.

Sometimes the biggest life changes come from the smallest things. A wrong turn, a glance in a different direction, a word overheard in a crowd. For Kylo, it was one wrong click.

Why he hadn’t blocked his mother’s email was a mystery to him. Leia was nothing if not persistent, writing him regularly, despite years of estrangement. She treated him like her personal diary, something he shouldn’t even know because he deleted every single letter unopened.

Alas, Kylo was weak and occasionally, after a tough day and a few glasses, he went to the junk folder and read whatever the mail hadn’t automatically deleted. Not that he cared.

This particular letter was also going to junk. It was, truly, it’s just that his finger had accidentally clicked half a second too early and opened it. So he peeked inside. And swore. Because in what reality did a family, even an estranged one, give their bakery to an outsider?! In his, apparently.

His name was Rey. The substitute son his parents acquired a few years ago if he remembered correctly. This mysterious Rey charmed Leia, Han, and even Luke enough to snatch a job at Naberrie’s (not that Kylo cared, he had a top restaurant to run after all). The dude was welcome to deal with his family mess any time, but this.… _This_ was where he drew the line. 

Metaphorically speaking. It was too late to do anything because Leia claimed she had already proceeded with the paperwork as Kylo had failed to object to her previous letters. Like he could. Because he deleted them unread.

His mood was foul, more so than usual, and the manager of Supremacy was hardly known for his sunny attitude to begin with. Snoke called that his strength; as long as Kylo was angry, he was a hardass, therefore he made the team perform, simple as that. No wonder he was the best manager Supremacy ever had, and that was saying something. 

The title came with drawbacks such as no vacations or free time or personal life. The pay was great, though, better than he could have gotten as a pastry chef (a silly teenage dream), but there was a little chance to spend the money to help loosen up from working like this. Kylo made do with hitting the gym and yelling at his underlings.

Of course, that was the very day Snoke arrived for an inspection. The man smelt weakness like a shark detected blood and Kylo knew straight away it wouldn’t go well. Supremacy hadn’t opened yet, so he’d lined up the nervous staff as the owner scrutinized everything his eye fell on, criticizing each real and imagined failing. It didn’t take long for him to explode.

“What is this?!” Snoke bellowed, thrusting a piece of fabric under the nose of a shaking waiter. The guy looked ready to pass out any second. “I asked what is this?!”

“A napkin, sir,” the waiter mumbled inaudibly.

“Brilliant! And what color is this napkin?”

Poor guy swallowed. Kylo was surprised he was still standing upright. Would this Rey dude be capable of handling such strain? Of course not. Then what business had he in taking over Naberrie’s?

“B-beige, sir?”

“And why is it beige when it’s supposed to be gray? Dove gray?” Snoke asked with deceptive calmness.

“I-I…”

“Why doesn’t your boss answer?” The man turned his unblinking eyes toward Kylo. 

The napkin in his hand was a challenge; too bad today was the day he felt like taking it.

“It’s gray,” Kylo responded neutrally. 

Supremacy had a very distinct monochrome design, but also very particular lighting to create the necessary ambiance so in no way was he able to tell if the offensive piece of fabric was pale gray, pale beige, or pale yellow. And so neither were the clients.

“No, it’s clearly not,” Snoke hissed to show how much this show of stupidity irritated him. Like Kylo himself wasn’t irritated. He was wasting his time not over a butchered dish or a stained tablecloth, but over some complete trifle, when his birthright was being handed to another. So it wasn’t that surprising when he uttered a forbidden phrase. 

“Why does it matter?”

For a second Snoke was taken aback. “Why…. My boy, are you forgetting yourself? Supremacy strives for perfection. The First Order strives for perfection. This,” he waved the napkin, “is _not_ perfection. This is sloppiness. Do you even care?”

If not for that question, things could have gone completely differently. Another small thing, that would change everything.

“Honestly?” Kylo thought about the last decade. He had abandoned the family bakery, his dream of being a pastry chef, his personal life, and any meaningful connections to get a job he didn’t care about. In the light of recent developments, it became as clear as day. 

“No.”

He could hear a pin drop as everyone looked at him with horror.

“You know what? I quit.”

It took Snoke a whole thirty seconds to remember how to breathe.

“Ren! Come back this instance! Do you hear me?!”

He never turned back. He had places to be.

It took very little to pack his possessions (no personal life meant owning nothing of importance), to return his keys to the landlord, and to point his car toward Naboo, leaving his Kylo Ren persona behind. The freshly ressurected Ben Solo had no plans aside from getting there, grabbing his family, and asking what the fuck. Also maybe having a chat with this Rey guy. The thirteen-hour drive, not counting stops, forced some adjustments onto this plan. He re-read the letter and realized that Luke had retired completely and his whole family decided it would be nice to celebrate with a prolonged European trip for the sake of the old days. So it was just Rey to deal with. Well then. 

By the time Ben arrived in Naboo it was already half-past-five. The businesses were already closing because the sleepy town had no concept of nightlife. Luckily, the bakery was still open; it seemed the new owner maintained normal working hours, unlike Luke. The main door was no longer red, like he remembered, but blue. The windchime was a new addition as well. The shop, unsurprisingly, was devoid of customers, but there was a young woman behind the counter, a gorgeous little thing with a dazzling smile and a scattering of freckles. Ben was very abruptly reminded that he was a hot-blooded man, something he had completely forgotten at his previous job.

“Hello!” the girl beamed brightly, absentmindedly straightening her apron with the very unprofessional Kiss The Cook embroidered on the front. “Welcome to Naberrie’s!”

Forcing himself not to stare at her chest, ahem, embroidery, Ben dropped his gaze to the pastries and was met with an old nemesis, a plain chocolate muffin of Luke’s creation, straight away.

“Are you still selling that Bantha shit?” he heard himself asking. _Way to go, Ben, that’s how you talk with cute girls._

As expected, her smile dimmed immediately. “That’s are Bantha Delights, sir.” 

_ And boy, could he imagine other situations those pouty lips would call him sir. _

“Would you like some?”

Oh yes, he would. Wait, no, that wasn't why he was there.

“I’d like to talk to Rey,” Ben finally managed the phrase. 

The girl nodded. “I’m listening.”

“No, I want to talk to _Rey_ ,” he pressed. No need for anyone else to try to pass along his words and waste his time.

The girl looked at him expectantly. “Yes?”

And then it clicked. The faceless dude who had charmed the pants off his parents and this alluring freckled beauty were _one and the same_. Fuck his life.

“But…” Ben gaped like a fish, “you’re a woman.”

The girl’s huff puffed her chest and crap, he didn’t need to imagine what she looked like under her apron. “So I’ve been told.”

He groaned. Why was it always like this?!

“That’s not.… Look, I’m Ben.” He searched for any recognition on her face. There was none. “Ben Solo.”

Now there was a reaction. Any friendliness left her pretty face completely.

“I see,” Rey said coldly, her eyes flashing. 

The chances she’d agree to a dinner later dropped below zero. 

“I’m back,” he said, trying to draw from the confidence Kylo possessed in abundance. _And old habits took over._ “Your services are no longer needed.”

If Ben could slap himself for what he blurted he would. 

But unlike any other female he’d fired before, Rey didn’t tear up or plead or shake. She snorted.

“Okay, yeah, sure.” Then she proceeded to wipe the counter like he wasn’t there. 

The audacity!

“I’m serious,” Ben attempted to look threatening. 

The girl clearly wasn’t one to be intimidated easily.

“Sure,” she nodded and proceeded with closing the shop, completely ignoring him. 

He was stunned. “Ahem.”

Rey turned to him so sharply he took a step back.

“Look, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Fancy,” she pointed an accusing finger at him. “I’m sure where you’re from people scream, drop their things, and do whatever you want, but from where I stand no one has seen you in a decade and now you’re coming here and giving orders like you own everything?”

“I do,” he said dumbly, knowing full well he was wrong. 

The girl glared at him.

“No, _Luke_ does. And Leia. They hired me, taught me, and trusted me with Naberrie’s. And I see no reason why I should listen to you, a virtual stranger.”

Wasn’t that rich?! Either she was lying or had no idea about his mother’s plan.

“You… you… Are you fucking kidding me?!” Ben asked incredulously.

Rey pretended to think. “No, that’s not on my agenda.”

“You have no right be here,” he growled, which was a stupid move on his part because if Leia did what she said she was going to do, _he_ was the one who wasn’t supposed to be there.

“I think I do,” the girl shot back. “I’m the employee after all.”

“I’m,” Ben hated not to have the last word, “calling the police.” _Dumb Ben, very dumb Ben._

Rey smiled. “Please do. I’m sure it will be a fun conversation. Snap is a regular.”

If Snap was Snap Wexley, it was in his best interests not to get the police involved. They weren’t on the best terms back in school.

“I’ll sue you,” Ben reverted to old Kylo behavior. Usually it worked like a charm - no one wanted to experience the power of Snoke’s legal team. Rey, though, was hardly impressed.

“Why don’t you call your parents first?” she asked sweetly. “They’d like to hear from you, you know.” Ben was so stunned he didn’t even resist when she pushed him out of the bakery. “We’re closed.” And then she locked the door, stepped around him, and went on her merry way.

He gaped. No one ever dared to walk away from a conversation with him. “Where are you going?”

Rey glanced over her shoulder. “Home.”

Of course he followed her car. For a while Ben wondered why the way seemed so familiar. He understood why only after Rey parked in front of his childhood home. Now she was clearly fucking with him.

He jumped out of his car. “Why are you here?” He growled.

Rey shrugged. “I live here.”

“This is my parents’ home,” Ben gritted through clenched teeth. The girl seemed unperturbed.

“I know.” 

They got to the porch at the same time and she paused, letting him get to the door first. After he waited there angrily for a few moments, she asked innocently, “No keys?” 

Of course Rey had the damn keys.

The house looked exactly the same. Not that Ben paid attention, as this time he let her go first and ended up being thoroughly distracted when she bended to drop her purse by her peachy ass, hugged by her tight-fitting jeans. Who on earth decided this was appropriate work attire? It was obscene, if Ben said so himself.

He was so distracted he didn’t even realize where Rey was heading until she stopped in front of a familiar door.

“What…” Ben sputtered. “That’s my room!”

The girl didn’t seem to be bothered by his indignation.

“The one with black walls and emo posters on the walls?” she asked sweetly, her eyes blinking mischievously. “No, I don’t think so.” 

Rey opened the door, revealing pastel green walls, pale furniture, and light pink bedding. Ben’s jaw dropped to the floor.

“What did you do to my room?!”

“Nothing you didn’t let me,” she chirped happily. “Leia asked your permission in a letter three years ago. Silence means consent, right?”

With that Rey closed the door in his stunned face. 

Ben barely slept that night. He angrily moved his things into the guest bedroom, intending to get a proper rest for the first time in two days. No such luck. Every time he closed his eyes his mind conjured Rey, each time in a less and less appropriate setting. Which was a very unnecessary idea to get into his head. Crap.

Eventually he gave up and decided to come up with a new plan. Clearly, asking Rey out was an impossible idea. But _kicking_ her out was a bad idea too. Ben really, really should have called his mother and asked her for the details, but he really, _really_ didn’t want to. Then again, he was under no illusion regarding his people skills, relying on threats, blackmail, and occasional bribes as per Snoke’s instructions. It would hardly work for selling pastries. Rey’s sweet demeanor, on the other hand, would work like a charm. So no firing her. Hence the only problem left was the issue with ownership and there was one person who could help him. It started to sound like a plan. 

When Rey finally deigned to grace him with her presence (which, objectively speaking, happened at 7 a.m.) Ben was already in the kitchen making pancakes. He pushed a plate her way and started without preamble.

“Let’s talk like civilised people.”

“Good morning to you, too!” Rey answered cheerfully, like a person who had gotten proper sleep. She also looked like one, with her quirky three buns, a burnt orange plaid dress and a mustard cardigan. Who gave her the right to look this cute he had no idea. 

“Slept well?” she asked innocently. 

Ben barely suppressed a growl.

“I _might_ consider continuing your employment under my management,” he declared before his mind could turn somewhere else.

Rey hummed. “Interesting. I talked to Leia, your mom,” she added like he could forget, “and she told me to take you to Cee and end this nonsense.” She lifted her eyes in concern when Ben choked on his coffee. “Careful.”

How? How was she doing that?! Stealing the ground from under his feet every single time?

“Fine,” he croaked after the coughing fit passed. “Let’s do that.”

Rey beamed like the proud owner of a naughty puppy who finally obeyed a command right. This was going to be a long day.

Cee, or rather Cecil Thornton Pio the Third, Esquire, had been their family lawyer for as long as Ben could remember. If anyone was aware of the current ownership status of Nabberie’s, it was him. Naturally, Cee was the person he was going to turn to, he just didn’t expect Rey to suggest him first.

The elderly lawyer adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses twice when he saw the visitors.

“Master Ben! I didn’t expect to see you,” he started gushing before Ben managed to cut him off.

“We don’t have much time, Threepio,” he used the old childhood name to soften the blow. Cee had a terrible tendency to ramble.

“Sorry about that, he didn’t finish his coffee,” Rey interjected with a sweet smile. 

Did she have to be so insufferably agreeable?

“That’s all right,” Cee responded. “Mistress Leia called me.”

Ben gulped. “She did?”

Had his mother talked to everyone except him? Sounded about right.

“Here’s the thing,” the lawyer explained, “before they left, both Mistress Leia and Master Luke signed the deed of gift.”

Rey looked surprised by that information which only served to irritate Ben.

“Where is it? I don’t have all day,” he prompted the elderly man as he unhurriedly went through his papers. Cee didn’t seem to be bothered at all. After taking his sweet time, he uncovered the coveted document and adjusted his glasses again.

“Mistress Leia signed her half of Naberrie’s to Miss Rey,” he delivered with an expression that made it clear he knew it well before finding the document. 

So it was true. Ben’s own mother had handed the family hairloom to a stranger.

“She what?” Rey looked completely stunned. “I didn’t know,” she stammered, looking at Ben with big shocked eyes.

“As if,” he angrily snorted. “You were after it all along.”

“That’s not true,” the girl protested. “I really didn’t know. She didn’t tell me, I swear.”

“...while Master Luke,” Cee continued as if nothing had just happened, “signed his half to young Master Ben.”

It took a moment before his words registered. Ben looked at Rey. She looked right back.

“What?!”

“What?!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben tries to integrate himself back into his old life while Rey isn't making it too easy for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley!

“Not possible,” Ben muttered under his breath. “This is not possible.”

He and Luke hadn’t parted on friendly terms. No, _parted_ was too mild of a word to describe the way they had ended their relationship. As a child, Ben had been fascinated by his incredibly talented baker uncle, the one who took care of him when his mother was too busy at City Hall and his father was off to whatever he was doing. Luke told him amazing stories about his own father Anakin who got a degree in culinary sciences to sweep a local heiress off her feet. Padme’s family were considered Naboo’s royalty while Anakin was a nobody, and yet their ultimately successful union produced two kids and a bakery that merged heirloom recipes with modern techniques.

Little Ben couldn’t think of anything more interesting than going through old photos or helping Luke in the kitchen. Back then he knew exactly what he wanted - to continue the family tradition by bringing his grandfather’s legacy to a new level. His parents didn’t understand the fascination. Han wanted his son to be into cars, while Leia hoped to give him an interest in public service. But what could they do if the boy was more interested in mixing dough and decorating cookies? So they stepped aside to let Luke be the mentor he wanted to be. And it worked.

Until it didn’t. As Ben grew up, he got more and more irritated with his uncle’s lackadaisical attitude toward important issues, yet his stubborn protectiveness over recipes that were at least several decades old. Luke couldn’t care less about modern technology (why? this mixer works just fine), modern business approaches (merchandising? never heard of her), or necessary paperwork (why do I need to keep this junk? what taxes?), but heaven forbid Ben try and add a pinch of pepper to a Sarlacc Pit Truffle cake (are you out of your mind? this recipe is a hundred years old!). They clashed a lot. Ben only wanted a safe space for experiments and creativity, while Luke strived to preserve and pass on his heritage. What was the point of searching for an elusive _best_ , he argued, when their recipes were already good? And what was the point of getting into a culinary school when he had already taught Ben everything that counted?

As expected, Han and Leia refused to take sides, allowing an angry and embittered Ben to do whatever. At school he met Snoke, the famous restaurateur, and was swept off his feet. To work at a kitchen like one of his with state-of-the-art equipment was a dream. Too bad, Snoke argued, that pastry chef was such a restricting specialization for someone with Ben’s talent. He should aspire to be a chef, _the_ chef.

Alas, it hadn’t been in the books. Apparently, Ben’s _cooking_ passion was underwhelming compared to his baking and at his mentor’s urging he switched to business administration. Thus Kylo Ren was born. Upon later reflection, Snoke achieved exactly what he wanted – he turned an approval-starved, star-eyed boy into a ruthless (and apparently gullible) manager, the kind who’d make big bucks by serving people with big bucks. It was every single thing of which Luke disapproved.

So then why on earth had Luke left his beloved bakery, his pride and joy, to a man why might very well turn it into another Starbucks?! Ben really, really wanted to call his uncle and ask what the fuck, but calling Luke would be a fate even worse than calling his parents. He gave up and dialed Leia’s number.

The conversation was, surprisingly, very short. His family was visiting Venice and Han was currently arranging a _gondola_ for a romantic ride. Ben tried his best not to gag. His mother didn’t let him get in two words, only wanting to know if he was fine, if he was sleeping and eating well, and if he thought that Rey was cute (yes, yes and yes, and she’s insufferable, which was as close to the truth as he was willing to give). Then his father shouted something in the background, eliciting a girlish giggle out of Leia. She commanded Ben to give Rey a kiss from her and ended the call. He swore profusely.

Rey, on the other hand, had no problem calling his uncle and giving him a piece of her mind.

“...but _why_ , Luke?!” Upon hearing the answer, she rolled her eyes so hard it should have been painful. “Yes, yes, I know there’s still light in him, but why should it be _my_ responsibility to find it?! Yes, I can both respect you and think you’re bonkers. In fact, I’ve done it before,” she responded primly.

It clearly spurred Luke to give her a lecture Ben was lucky he wasn’t privy to. Rey took it like a champ, although her shoulders dropped in defeat. “Fine! Fine, you win.” She rolled her eyes again. “Tell Leia NO and give her my love.”

Rey turned to Ben and gave him a slow once-over, an action both satisfying and disturbing as he couldn’t tell whether she was appreciating his assets or trying to decide which limb to cut off first.

“Looks like we’re working together, partner,” she proclaimed with an unreadable expression.

“Fuck my life,” Ben muttered under his breath.

Back when he had been Kylo Ren, Ben had learned to always rely on his training. There were no such things as bad days or sick leaves in Snoke’s book, hence being able to do things automatically was a must. In unclear situations, such as this, he allowed himself to let his old habits kick back in.

“I want to see the books,” Ben announced when they arrived at Naberrie’s.

“Be my guest,” she shrugged, shooing him off toward Luke’s office with her inappropriate apron. They would have to talk about that eventually. He didn’t like that blatant invitation for anyone to kiss _his_ cook.

Having known Luke since forever, Ben had a bad feeling about this endeavor. He was wrong. It was worse. It looked like after his departure his uncle simply couldn’t be bothered with paperwork. The last few years showed some improvement, but it barely made an orderly dent in the whole messy pile.

When Rey showed up a few hours later with a croissant and a cup of honeyed tea he was on the verge of a stroke. Invoices were missing, revenue and expenses didn’t match, taxes were filed… creatively, to put it mildly. How Naberrie’s was still running was a mystery.

“The accountant should be fired,” he growled instead of thanking her. “This is a hot mess. Who keeps the books?”

“I do,” she responded unapologetically.

“Of course,” Ben muttered under his breath.

That explained the improvements in recent years. 

Rey clearly received his tone as a critique of her abilities. “Look, Mr. High and Mighty, I try my best,” she stated defensively. “You should have seen the state of this place before me. Luke isn’t exactly…”

Ben winced. “Don’t. Just don’t. What was my mother doing all this time?” he wondered. Clearly not her share of responsibilities.

The girl looked at him weirdly. “Her job. The mayor doesn’t exactly run bakeries.”

Why wasn’t he surprised. “Of fucking course. How did Luke even know if Naberrie’s was profitable?”

Rey’s expression became pained. “Before me? He didn’t.”

Damn, this sounded so Luke. Bake legendary cakes, leave the mess for someone else. Fucking peachy. How much coffee will it take to sort all of this out? How was Rey even going to do this alone?

“Fine,” Ben groaned. He’d do it. He’d relieve her of this burden. “Go do something useful. I have my work cut out for me.” 

“Thank you for being so gracious,” she snorted and did a mock curtsy before leaving him to it.

This was going to be a long day, Ben realized.

Another hour in and he started craving coffee too much to ignore the urge. Oh well, time to go out.

Behind the counter Rey felt like a fish in water. She smiled and chatted customers, cooed over their pets and kids and inquired of their families and hobbies like she was their best friend. That was a level of finesse Ben doubted he’d ever achieve. Yes, Rey was going to keep her employment as far as he was concerned (never mind she was a co-owner).

“Have a good day, Miss Mothma,” she smiled at yet another customer until a handsome dark-skinned young man approached the counter and she positively beamed. 

“Hey, Peanut,” he greeted her with familiarity.

“Hi, Finn.”

If not for the counter between them, they would have hugged. Or kissed. Not that Ben was jealous. Not at all. He had absolutely no complaints regarding Rey making out with hot guys. It’s not like he cared. Much.

The Finn guy leaned in conspiratorially. “So I heard from Poe, who heard from Kaydel, who heard from Artoo…”

“Busy bee?” Ben growled, stalking toward Rey himself.

The other man eyed him up and down curiously.

“Yeah, that’s him,” she confirmed, annoying Ben even more.

What was she telling her boyfriend already?!

The boyfriend clearly didn’t get the memo, offering his hand for a shake. “Finn Smith.”

“Ben Solo.” If his grip was maybe a bit tighter than necessary, he didn’t do it on purpose. Definitely not.

A change came over Finn’s face the second he heard the name. “ _The_ Ben Solo. I see.” 

“And what, pray tell, do you see?” the taller man asked snidely.

Whatever posturing they were going to do next was lost as another customer, a short Asian woman, walked in.

“Hi, Finn! Hi, Rey!” she greeted them cheerfully.

“Hi, Rose!”

Whatever misplaced jealousy Ben felt before was gone as Finn’s face was immediately split into a dopey smile at the sight of the girl. While Rey looked happy to see her, he looked completely smitten and, well, it wasn’t like Ben considered him a rival, but wasn’t it a great development?

Rose eyed him curiously. “Hello. Are you a new hire?”

He puffed his chest involuntarily. “I’m the new owner.”

“ _A_ new owner,” Rey corrected. “This is Ben.”

Rose’s brows drew together in concentration. “Ben Solo?”

Huh, he didn’t expect that. “Do I know you?” She seemed closer to Rey in age, so unlikely.

“You went to school with my sister,” Rose explained. “Paige Tico.” 

Ben nodded in recognition. “Right. How’s she doing?”

Rose’s smile got a bit stiff. “Great. All things considered. She’s perfected Banh Xeo again,” the girl winced slightly.

“It _is_ perfect,” Finn pointed out.

“I told her so,” Rose sighed in exasperation. “I need my chocolate fix. Can I have a Bantha Delight please?”

As Ben’s eyebrows shot up Rey sent him a death glare.

“Dare say a word to her and I’ll kick you,” she hissed quietly. “They lost their parents last year.”

He promptly snapped his mouth shut.

Rose hastily paid for her treat, seconds from hissing “my precioussss”.

“Thanks! You’re a lifesaver. Have a good day!” the girl called on her way out.

Finn looked after her wistfully.

“When are you going to ask her out?” Rey casually asked him.

“Someday,” he sighed in defeat.

Ben decided he wanted that day sooner rather than later.

The door chimed again, letting in another customer, another handsome, slightly familiar man with an orange corgi on a leash.

“Hello and I see Finn still hasn’t asked Rose out,” he greeted them with a dazzling smile.

Rey giggled.

Ben ground his teeth. How many attractive guys hang around Naberrie’s?!

“Don’t kick the fallen,” Finn grumbled under his breath.

The man eyed Ben in appreciation.

“New hire?”

“New owner,” he growled. Why did everyone think it was Rey who hired him?

“I’ll be damned!” the man announced incredulously. “Ben Solo!”

Something about that flamboyant attitude sparked the recognition. “Poe? Dameron?”

“Damn right!” He managed to clap Ben on his shoulder over the counter. The corgi yipped in excitement. “We need to catch up, buddy,” Poe announced cheerfully, dragging him to the nearest table despite his protests.

Rey was snickering loudly. What a disaster.

The more Ben observed how his co-partner was handling the business, the more he wanted to groan. She was simply allowing everyone to take advantage of her all the damn time. The girl just had to give free goods to kids or regulars who conveniently ‘forgot’ their wallets. Rey agreed to make a bunch of cupcakes on short notice just to oblige the elderly ladies from the book club. She was willing to come in too early and leave too late to do those ridiculous requests to make extra money she didn’t get from ordinary sales, and she was expected to handle all administrative issues on her own, too. From what Ben gathered, Luke used to help her with baking sporadically and Finn took occasional shifts here and there. It wasn’t good. Clearly, someone had to take care of Naberrie’s and someone had to take care of Rey. How convenient that Ben was already there.

“You need to stop doing that,” he announced after the book club lady left.

“What?” Rey frowned. 

“Promising more than you are capable of delivering.” She might be thinking she didn’t need rest, but it wasn’t true. Ben would know.

The girl looked at him with defiance. “I am capable…”

“Alone?” he asked skeptically. “Running this place _and_ providing extra catering?” Ben used to run a whole staff and still there were things they messed up in haste. She was only one single woman. Er, hopefully single. Not that it mattered.

“And you’re a big expert on how to run a bakery,” Rey snorted, probably out of sheer desire to antagonize him.

He crossed his arms over his chest, pleased to notice that she followed the motion with her eyes. “Yes, I am.” He’d gone to school for cooking _and_ business administration after all. “You barely cover Naberrie’s expenses. Your goods are underpriced. And the assortment?” He got to his favorite pet peeve; it had hardly changed since Anakin. “Jogan fruit cake? No one buys that and the cost of it…”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh please.”

Too late. Ben had already straddled his favorite horse. “Mustafar lava cake is boring,” he recited. “Bespin Cloud is a blatant rip-off of Pavlova. Hapes honey scones are plain dry bread. And what kind of a name is a _Porgy_?!” he demanded indignantly, spotting a new addition to the display, weird orange-ish obese birds with large eyes, grouped suspiciously (one might even say suggestively).

For a second Rey was speechless. “It’s Porgs!”

Oops. Ben felt his face heat. How the fuck could he read Porgs like that?! On the second look, even the poses of the weird orange penguins were less suggestive than he had thought at first. Of course Naberrie’s wouldn’t sell something called _porgy_. And now Rey knew how deeply his mind was stuck in the gutter. Shit, now she’d think he’s a pervert. Now was a good time for the ground to swallow him whole.

The universe had other ideas. The windchime dinged, alerting them to a customer, a guy that, in Ben’s humble opinion, looked like an anthropomorphic blobfish. Beside him Rey went deathly silent.

“Well-well-well,” the newcomer drawled in a way that put everyone on edge. “I see the new owner is here.”

“What do you want, Unkar?” Rey demanded with a threat in her voice. 

“Is that the way to greet your father?” the man shot back.

Ben frowned. Rey, gentle, sweet, and kind Rey, looked nothing like this guy. No way they were related.

“You’re not my father,” she spat, confirming his suspicion.

It was time to intervene.

“Ben Solo, owner,” he announced, positioning himself between the two. Rey didn’t look happy, but at least the man’s attention instantly refocused, his face splitting into a friendly smile.

“Unkar Plutt.” He looked like he expected a handshake, but Ben offered none. “I run the Outpost in Jakku.”

Jakku was the town south of Naboo and the two couldn’t be more different. Where the latter was green and picturesque, the former was barely a step up from a wasteland. Outpost was a diner in between the two towns and probably the only thing worth mentioning in Jakku, although Ben wouldn’t risk his health to eat there.

“Never heard of it,” he lied with a straight face.

Unkar didn’t look offended.

“Not surprising. You’re a city dweller, we’re hardly of interest to you,” he said like living in a big city equated to being a celebrity. “I have an offer for you.”

What could someone like Plutt want from him?

“Yes?” Ben asked warily, ignoring Rey’s furious glare. One would think she should be grateful for the intervention.

“This place,” Unkar gestured around Naberrie’s, “is dying, it will only distract you from,” he paused, unsure, “whatever you’re doing. Sell it to me, I’ll take good care of it.”

Like there was a version of reality in which Ben would let this blobfish within a ten-foot radius of his inheritance or Rey.

He pretended to think. “Tempting. But no.”

Clearly, Unkar didn’t expect that.

“Listen…”

“This place is not for sale,” Ben said. “Have a good day,” he declared with finality.

With one last glare Plutt left the bakery. Letting out a breath, Ben turned to Rey with concern.

“Is he...?”

“I’m not telling you anything,” she snapped, anger and fear still visible on her face.

He lifted his hands placatingly. He only wanted to help. “Rey, please…”

“You think you come here and magically fix everything?” the girl hissed, abruptly turning defensive. “It’s my business, too. Half of it anyway.” Under Ben’s shocked gaze she marched across the center of the bakery, gesturing wildly. “This is my side. Do whatever you want with yours, but leave me alone.” 

“Hey,” he tried, worried over her sudden mood swing. Was this because of Plutt? Why was she so scared?

Rey glared at him. 

“Fuck off.” She turned on her heel and marched back to the kitchen, slamming the door and leaving a confused Ben behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is grumpy and Ben is a puppy who doesn't know how to handle it. But Poe has an idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm being grumpy, too, therefore I'm posting another chapter.
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley.

Weirdly enough, ultimate sweetheart Rey could hold one hell of a grudge, if only when it came to Ben. She was ridiculously stubborn, which made him particularly frustrated since _he_ had done nothing wrong. Any other woman would have swooned over his knight-in-shining armour intervention, but not this one. No, after all the times she felt he had encroached on her territory, what Rey finally gave him the silent treatment for was telling an abusive blobfish off. Go figure.

Not that Ben had time to figure her out. With his audit finally over he knew exactly where Naberrie’s stood financially and, well, it was hardly encouraging. Deep down he had even started to suspect that Luke had left him half of the shop out of sheer spite, knowing full well how much trouble it would take to make the business work properly again. Leia, of course, vehemently denied it, but she was biased, so.…

The situation Ben had found himself in hardly improved his mood. He’d just turned his life upside down and for what? A struggling bakery and the silent treatment from the prettiest woman he’d seen in his life? Didn’t feel very fun.

At least the town seemed to welcome him back. Naboo was known for being friendly, Poe Dameron being the primary case. The guy hadn’t changed a bit since school, still as charming and capable of befriending a stone wall as always. Ben had no chance.

Pretty soon he was caught up on everything he needed to know about Poe, and more. The man worked at City Hall. He used to assist Leia, whom he completely worshipped. Now Poe worked with Holdo, with whom he had a weird love/hate relationship, which was bizarre as Amilyn was one of the sweetest and most composed people ever in Ben’s opinion. Holdo thought Poe should grow up, metaphorically speaking. Dameron thought they should just bang their differences out, which was… yeah. Case and point. Poe had a terribly spoiled corgi that was adored by the whole town (Ben had to agree, that little fluffy butt could bring joy to anyone). He was also friends with Finn, who seemed to be much more tolerable ever since Ben found out he had a thing for Rose.

Finn seemed to be one of those trademark _nice guys_ and was less aggressively friendly than Poe. He did freelance programming or something, Ben was unsure of the details, which allowed him to take occasional shifts at Naberrie’s. He was also completely incapable of doing anything about his obvious attraction to Rose, the sweetest person to ever walk the earth. Goodness, those two were ridiculous. Another positive thing about Finn was that he had stopped glaring at Ben after his run-in with Plutt.

“I wanted to thank you for what you did for Rey,” he said the very next day.

Ben rolled his eyes _hard_ , remembering the number of death glares Rey had bestowed upon him since then. “She sure isn’t thankful.”

Finn surreptitiously checked if Rey was still in the kitchen. “It’s tough for her to let people in. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but her foster father Unkar was a piece of shit.”

A foster father? Now that made more sense. “Was she..?”

“An orphan?” Finn guessed. “Yes. He made her work ‘to earn her keep,’ she did everything – cooked, cleaned, served, handled the books. Without her, the place is going to shit and he always underpays so no one sticks around long. Plutt is dying to get Rey back.”

Never in his life had Ben wanted to strangle a person with his bare hands this much. What right did that blobfish have to treat the poor girl like that?! What a pity he didn’t get to rearrange Plutt’s features yesterday, that would have been _so_ satisfying, regardless of Rey’s silent treatment.

“Good thing she got out,” Ben said darkly.

Finn nodded with an equally grim expression.

“Your father helped. He basically smuggled her out as soon as she could leave.”

It seemed it was the day of firsts. Being grateful to Han was another novel experience. Another thought crossed his mind. _As soon as she could leave_. As in _legally_?

“Wait, how old is Rey?” Ben found himself asking.

“Twenty-one.”

Oh. Well, he was thirty-one. That's a ten years difference. He’d be too old, wouldn’t he? Then again, his parents made it work. And then Ben realized that if Rey was twenty-one and came here three years ago, she was a minor when Plutt made her work to earn her keep. Fuck.

“I’ll kill the asshole,” Ben vowed then and there.

To his surprise, the sweet and amiable Finn didn’t bat an eyelash.

“Call me to help you hide the body,” he offered in a moment of pure male understanding.

The moment was broken when Rey reappeared with a tray of fresh baked goods and beamed at her friend, completely ignoring Ben.

“Finn!”

“Peanut!”

Ben sulked. Rey kept pretending he didn’t exist, probably more out of pettiness than any real embarrassment. Well, he hadn’t exactly shown himself in the best light at first, to be honest. Maybe she was trying to get back at him.

A venture into the kitchen also didn’t go as well as intended. Turned out, Ben was rusty, and baking wasn’t exactly like bicycle riding – you have to remember the recipes first, Rey gladly pointed out in a sing-song tone when he tried to get the cookbook from _her_ side of the shelf. Modernizing the recipes was temporarily postponed.

In the end, Ben was exhausted. He probably spent less energy in a twelve-hour day as Kylo Ren than on the easy shift here.

“What’s with the long face?” Poe asked cheerfully. He burst into the shop like someone who had never, ever experienced depleted energy.

“Bad day.”

“Sorry, man,” Dameron offered sympathetically. “How can I help?”

Ben sighed. He was not about to bring up Rey’s irrational behaviour.

“I doubt you can. Our sales are shit.”

“Tough. Although…” Poe turned contemplative, “you know the Naboo Annual Baking contest, right?”

Ben knew the contest? _Of course_ he knew! His grandmother’s family founded it after all. But it was hardly relevant.

“Yeah, I don’t think that would work.”

“Why not?” the other man wondered. “Naberrie’s has won, like, seven times?”

“Eight.” And at least two of those Ben could remember.

“So?”

“You think it would get us more customers?” he asked dubiously.

Back at Supremacy, they used movie stars and influencers to get the exposure they needed; then again, baking contests seemed exactly a Naboo idea of fun. Very little expense on their side, but how much of an effect would it make?

“At least for the holiday season,” Poe responded with confidence. He might know more than Ben at this point, he had seen the last decade of contests in person. “You won’t know until you try. Just fill out this form and drop it in the City Hall post box.”

Ben picked up the proffered piece of paper. “Right. I’ll think about it.” His gaze moved to the counter where Finn was awkwardly trying to let Rose go first. Both were blushing adorably. “What’s their deal?”

Poe followed his gaze. “Those two? The pining is real.”

“But, like, why?” It was so confusing, everyone could see they were attracted to each other.

Poe’s eyes turned sad. “You know the girls lost their parents in a car crash?”

Ben nodded.

“It was tough on Rose, but more so on Paige. The Ticos wanted her to take over the family restaurant, but she wanted to get her degree in culinary arts first, got a scholarship to Chandrila and everything.”

“Shit.” It sounded all too familiar. The story of a fellow kindred spirit.

“Yeah, poor Paige. After,” Poe didn’t have to say after what, “she dropped everything, came home and dived into traditional Vietnamese cuisine. People handle grief differently. Finn doesn’t want to make it worse for Rose, who worries about her sister.”

“She’s clearly interested,” Ben pointed out. “How will he make things worse?”

Poe shrugged. “That’s Finn for you.”

“Sounds dumb.” Why waste time like that?

“Yeah?” Poe smirked. “When are you going to talk to Rey?”

Ben stared at him dumbly. “ _Me?_ ”

“I’m not blind, Benny Boy,” Dameron smirked knowingly.

Now that was unfair.

“It’s _her_ who gives me the silent treatment. I’m open to conversation,” Ben grumbled. If he could, he would have already dated the shit out of Rey. If only she looked at him like Rose looked at Finn.

“Sure,” Poe responded smugly.

“You're on my half,” Rey announced with narrowed eyes.

“No, you're on _my_ half,” Ben retorted in annoyance. Goodness, how could someone be both so cute and so irritating?

“Don't be ridiculous.”

“Who's ridiculous?” he taunted. “This is _your_ little game we're playing here, sweetheart.”

“I'm not your sweetheart,” Rey growled.

“Perhaps. But you're definitely _sweet_ , considering how much sugar you've consumed with all those Yavin cookies. Don't think I haven't noticed,” Ben threw back easily.

She gaped at him.

“Lies! Lies and slander!”

“That and Crait caramel brownies,” he responded smugly. The little minx had it coming.

“ _Salted_ caramel,” Rey hissed. “ _Salt_ , not sugar.”

“So you do admit you consume them in ungodly amounts?” he grinned in victory. Now the girl stood toe to toe with him, her eyes blazing with righteous fire and pretty lips pouting alluringly.

“Listen here, you rude overgrown tree,” she started with anger. 

“You're so cute when you're flirting.”

They both jumped apart, turning in shock to Rose, about whom they had completely forgotten.

“What?!” they cried out simultaneously, then glared at each other. That was awkward. Rey hastily prepared the paper bag for the order as Ben busied himself with Rose’s coffee.

“They are?” Finn asked incredulously, his eyes darting between the two.

“Yep. You guys bicker like an old married couple.”

“Do not,” Ben and Rey responded at the same time, then glared at each other again, appalled. 

“See?” Rose beamed. “Case and point. It's sort of a life goal.”

“Your life goal is to bicker?” Finn asked faintly.

“I mean...” the girl stammered, “with the right person.”

“Right.”

Ben scoffed at the bizarre idea. Bickering was _not_ a life goal. Life goal was being able to hold hands with Rey, to kiss her forehead whenever, to spend evenings cuddled under the same plaid cover while watching silly shows…. Wow, that escalated quickly.

Rose cleared her throat to break the awkward tension. “Anyways, how are things going with the shop?”

“I've found a way to boost our sales,” Rey announced proudly.

Ben gaped at her.

“No, _I've_ found a way to boost our sales. I'm applying to the baking contest,” he let her know.

Rey narrowed her eyes at him. "No, _I'm_ applying to the contest."

"I was first!"

"No, I was."

"Now is a good time to kiss," Rose chirped innocently.

Rey and Ben jumped away from each other, glaring at the girl. She lifted her arms in a placating gesture. "Don't mind me, it was just a friendly suggestion."

Ben turned to the most adorable bane of his existence. " _No way_ you're participating."

Rey lifted her eyebrow in challenge. "Who's stopping me?"

"I am," he growled. "I can do whatever I want."

"Sounds fun," Poe butted in, joining the discussion. "So, guys. I have good news and bad news." 

"OK?" Rey said slowly.

"We've got your applications."

"But?"

"But we can only accept one application from one shop."

"I'm doing it," Ben declared.

Rey turned to him belligerently.

"What? No!"

"I have more experience," he pointed out as reasonably as he could.

"Really?" she scoffed. "You couldn't even make Saber Scones without the cookbook. _I'm_ doing it."

"No way in hell," Ben protested, his aggressive negotiations mode turned on. "I'm Naberrie's only hope."

"Some hope you are," Rey snorted with defiance.

"Hey guys."

"You're being unreasonable."

"And you're being a nerfhearder."

"Guys."

"You know what, P\princess?"

"What?"

"Guys!" Poe cried out, snapping them both out of it. "You're scaring the customers."

With horror, Ben realized that sweet old ladies Corde and Sabe and little Galen Andor-Erso along with big Galen Erso were looking at them with wide startled eyes.

"Shit," he muttered.

Rey winced.

"Sorry."

"Can you do that in the back?" Poe suggested quietly.

They nodded, embarrassed, and headed to the storage room.

"Now here's why you're wrong," Ben started as soon as they entered, determined to prove his point, despite Rey’s apparent desire to smack him upside his head. A sudden click startled him from his musings.

"What was that?" she frowned. They both turned toward the door. The _now locked_ door.

"Sorry, guys," Rose apologized from the other side. "You can't go on like this. Bad for business." 

"What are you doing?" Rey demanded nervously, trying the handle. No luck.

"Fixing the problem. Talk it through. Or kiss. Try not to kill each other," Rose suggested helpfully.

"You can't do this to me!"

"I can and I will," came the unapologetic response. "Finn will man the counter. Have fun."

"Hey!" Rey cried out in indignation. No one responded. "Preposterous," she grumbled, pacing back and forth in the small space. "What kind of friends do that? Wasting my time when I should be doing something useful. Are you going to just sit there?" she turned to Ben in irritation.

"Not much space for the two of us," Ben commented from the sack of flour he was sitting on. The only perk of the situation was that he could observe Rey’s shapely behind from this angle while she paced.

"Must you always be this smug?" the girl huffed. He shrugged.

"Can’t help it. It's genetic."

"Ugh, you drive me crazy."

"Right back at you."

"Why can't you be reasonable?" she sighed deeply. "I'm a better baker, accept that already." 

"Debatable. I still have more experience," Ben repeated again.

"I have more _relevant_ experience," she retorted. 

"I'm better at heavy lifting.”

Rey rolled her eyes. "I don't skip arm day either. I can do this, I don't need you to win my battles. I don't need anyone."

"So you'd rather be alone just to keep your pride," Ben made an educated guess.

"I'm perfectly fine alone!"

"You don't _have to_ be."

Rey shook her head in irritation.

"Well, that's how I roll, mister. And let me tell you, I'm quite successful. No one complained before. I know what to do and how to do it right. And it has worked just fine so far. Why are you so silent?" she asked suspiciously.

"How many people can participate?" Ben asked suddenly, his brain onto something.

"Poe told you, one application from one shop," Rey recited.

"But one _baker_ or one _team_? How many people?"

She scrunched her brows in confusion. "Er, two?" Rey's eyes widened as she met Ben's gaze. "No."

"Yes."

"No, we'll kill each other," she protested helplessly. Too late, he already had the idea in his head.

"Or we'll combine our strengths," Ben argued, his mind full of images of himself and Rey baking together, winning, sharing a victorious kiss... Er, too far. "What's more important - your pride or Naberrie's?"

For a moment they were at the impasse. Then her shoulders dropped in defeat.

"Fine, talk."

At first they didn't even realize that the door was unlocked again, too absorbed in strategizing. It was only when Rose yanked it open with loud _aha_ , they jumped apart. 

"You're not kissing," the girl whined, disappointed.

"They are both alive," Finn helpfully pointed out, genuinely looking relieved.

Ben searched for his friend. "Poe, can we both participate, as one team?"

Rose and Finn gasped. Dameron's face split into a shit-eating grin. "Sure, cupcake."

Ugh, he was insufferable.

"Stop doing that."

Poe winked. "Nope."

"So no kissing?" Rose pestered Rey. "You were supposed...."

"Hon, stop reading fanfiction," the other girl smirked.

"You're no fun," the girl pouted.

"At least they’re talking again," Finn piped in. "That's great, right?"

Rey turned to him with a mad glint in her eyes. "We are and we’re going to smash the competition!"

Ben had never been more proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you love Rose? Everyone should love Rose.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben enter the contest and find themselves facing an unexpected adversary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, a shout-out to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley.

Now that he and Rey had finally reached an agreement and peace reigned at last, Ben could breathe again. How much better it felt to be on the receiving end of her smiles instead of her glares. Apparently, despite years of work under Snoke, he was soft like that. Although angry Rey _was_ hot, undeniably, painfully hot. Yes, Ben was his father’s son through and through.

They even went as far as baking together, with Rey guiding him through half-forgotten tricks and secrets in that sweet teasing way of hers. Ah, bliss. She also stole pastry constantly and it was really hard not to kiss her flour-dusted nose. It didn’t help that Leia started every call by asking Ben if he had asked her out yet. Life was tough occasionally.

His family supported their decision to participate in the competition. Well, at least Han and Leia did, who were on yet another honeymoon, all thanks to the romance in the Paris air. Luke only said something about _the Force working in mysterious ways_ , which was as good advice as they could get, according to Rey.

The Naboo baking contest had several rounds: once you were qualified, you ended up being one of ten teams. Five winners went to the next round, of whom only two would remain. The last round always was Christmas-themed as it happened right before the holiday and that was when the ultimate winner was determined. There was only one tiny thing – Ben wasn’t sure how the qualification process happened. He couldn’t remember, no matter how hard he tried, and Rey had never actually participated before in the first place.

Naturally, they turned to Poe.

“You never told us what's happening next,” Ben reminded him the next time the man came in. BB the corgi yipped happily as if in approval.

Poe smirked lazily, always the one to savor an opportunity to own a coveted bit of knowledge. “Well, Rey kinda knows.”

“I do not,” she pouted.

“All right,” Dameron finally conceded. “Now that we accepted the application, we're going to check if you're qualified to participate.”

“Check how?” Ben asked curiously.

“A representative from city hall will come to Naberrie's,” Poe started explaining. “He or she will check the interior, the atmosphere, things like that.” He looked around the bakery curiously. “Have you moved your tables?”

“Ben is trying his fancy sales theories on our poor bakery,” Rey teased.

Dameron’s eyebrows shot up. “And you let him?”

“I happen to like the sight of men moving heavy furniture,” she responded cheekily.

Ben’s chest instantly puffed out in male pride. So she _was_ checking him out, it wasn’t just his imagination.

“Oh really?” he smirked at the little minx.

Rey pretended to be unaffected. “Then what?” she asked Dameron, suddenly very interested in what he had to say.

“Then this appointed member would check your assortment and order something classic and something new,” Poe continued, his eyes involuntarily falling to the display. “What is that pretty thing called?” he pointed at their new pastry with a colorful mix of berries on top. 

“Illum,” Ben answered. “It's a chocolate tart with berries and white chocolate cream.” It was one of the things he had modified together with Rey and it turned out rather nicely, if he said so himself. The gelatin glazed currants and cranberries looked like glossy crystals.

“Mmmm. Sounds nice.” Poe licked his lips with interest. “I'll take one and maybe a Porg to go? And a coffee please. My usual.”

“Will do,” Ben responded.

“What’s next?” Rey asked, packing his order.

“Then your shop receives grades in hospitality, presentation, and taste and you pass. Or not,” the man winked conspiratorially. 

It sounded simple enough, but anything could go wrong at any moment.

“Who do you think is going to check on us?” Rey mused.

“I hope it's Holdo,” Ben said wistfully. Amilyn Holdo was sweet enough to be a kindergarten teacher and would for sure rate them high.

“The mayor?” She scrunched her nose in that adorable manner of hers. “Doubt that. I hope it's not Akbar.” He was known to be a bit of a grump, especially early in the morning.

Her partner frowned, trying to remember who else it could be. “Maybe D'Acy?”

Rey shrugged. “No idea.”

Poe smiled, grabbing his order.

“Thanks, guys. You’re the best. Have a good day and don't worry too much.”

“Easier said than done,” the girl sighed deeply. “Should we go over our assortment again?” she asked with worry.

Ben rolled up his sleeves. “Let's see.”

Ben was busy aligning the pastries, preparing space for the fresh ones Rey was bringing from the kitchen when he heard the door chime.

"Hello, welcome to Naberrie's," he called habitually, then lifted his head and promptly dropped his jaw.

Before him stood none other than James-Abraham Snoke, bespoke suit and all, looking terrifyingly out of place in the small bakery. The probability of someone like Snoke stooping low enough to enter a place like Naberrie's was so infinitesimal, Ben had to shake his head to make sure he was not seeing things.

"How the mighty have fallen," his former boss shook his head incredulously. "My boy, what are you doing?" Snoke asked with almost paternal concern.

Years ago Ben would have been fooled. Now - not so much.

"Nothing that concerns you," he responded as calmly and politely as he could. "Sir," he added in afterthought.

The older man smiled thinly. “Oh, no need for those formalities. We're old friends.”

 _Friends, my ass,_ Ben thought to himself. Snoke only ever played the friend card when he wanted something. Badly.

“What do you want?” he found himself asking.

“To return you to your rightful place, nothing more,” his former boss responded easily. Ah, right. No need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out. “Kylo, you were born for greater things in life, _this_ ,” Snoke gesticulated widely, his mouth turned to a sneer, “is beneath you.”

Not so long ago Ben would have thought so, too. But now he was finally able to breathe freely and the idea of returning to Supremacy did _not spark joy_. At all.

“I don't agree,” he answered with newfound conviction.

That made Snoke chuckle.

“Stubborn to the end, I see. Come on, don't you miss the big city? The employees at your beck and call? The power to make things happen?”

It was… well, tempting. The power was addictive, although it came with a price. But the smell of fresh pastry, the feeling of dough under his fingers, the sense of satisfaction at the end of the day, Rey’s smile – they outweighed everything easily.

“No.”

Snoke definitely didn’t expect that answer. And then the kitchen doors opened and Rey walked out with a tray of goods.

“Ben?” she called, before noticing the other man, then smiled brightly with her best customer smile. “Hello.”

“Oh, I see,” Snoke drawled with a malicious smile. “A fresh face to distract you. Trust me, my boy, it's not all it's made out to be,” he promised, making Ben’s fists clench in anger. “You'll get bored and restless soon enough and then you'll come and find me.”

Rey put down her tray with a loud thump and wedged herself between the two men. “He _won't_.”

This sudden surge of protectiveness turned Ben into a soft besotted puddle.

Snoke grinned in amusement. “Sweet thing. Your little house in the prairie fantasy is destined to wither. _He_ ,” the man pointed out at Ben, “isn't. You'll see soon enough. I'll be waiting for your call, Kylo,” he said instead of a goodbye. 

Rey gaped at his retreating figure. “What an arse. Who was that?”

“My ex-boss,” Ben replied in daze, still stunned that she decided to stand for him.

“Your ex-boss is a royal nerfhearder,” Rey let him know, her lips curled in displeasure.

Never in his life had he heard anyone refer to Snoke like that. Surprised, Ben chuckled.

“You don't say.” 

They should have known that Snoke’s appearance was only the beginning of their troubles. If that man got something he wanted into his head, he usually got it and he hated to be refused. Well, Ben refused to be anyone’s property, so tough luck.

It took barely a day before Plutt reappeared on their doorstep, more full of himself than ever. Ben didn’t wait for Rey’s reaction, he confronted the man first.

“What do you want?”

Plutt’s face split in a sickening smile. “Now, now, is that any way to treat your clients?”

“You're not welcome here,” Ben growled in a tone that promised bodily harm. His opponent didn’t seem to be impressed.

“Why are you clinging to this pile of rust?” Plutt pretended to be curious. “This shop is worth nothing.”

That was a lie. Naberrie’s, aside from being in the good part of town, had value beyond that. It was an heirloom that had precious memories connected to it. Only an idiot would forget that.

“We don't care,” Ben announced coldly.

“Don't be like that. I can offer you a fair price, more than you can get from anyone else,” Plutt offered in a conspiratorial tone as if they were just haggling for fun.

“Naberrie's is not for sale.” There was a finality to it that a smarter man would hear. Alas, Unkar Plutt was hardly a smarter man.

“You know,” he leaned closer, “there might come a day you regret this. What if something happens to your precious shop?”

“Are you threatening us?” Ben asked incredulously. How dared he?

Plutt pretended to be offended. “Me? _Never._ I’m just warning you. Be smart about what…”

That finally made Rey snap.

“Unkar,” she growled in outrage, “get your sorry ass out before I help you out or I swear to God...”

“Watch your mouth, girl!”

“I'm no girl!” Rey hissed, looking every inch murderous and adorable, in Ben’s humble opinion. “I’m a freaking owner! Get out!”

Finally, Plutt realized the mortal danger he had put himself in and promptly scrambled out of her way. She went as far as watching him hurry down the street, a promise of swift retribution clear on her pretty face. If Ben were a lesser man, with less self-preservation instincts, he would have proposed on the spot.

“I'm so proud of you,” he said with sincerity when Rey took her rightful place behind the counter. She blushed adorably, glancing at him from beneath her lashes.

“Thanks. I am, too.”

The day of the competition came faster than they had expected. Rey and Ben were so busy perfecting their skills they barely had time for anything else. Han, Leia, and Luke sent their love and support from Germany, but that was the extent of their social interactions.

On the day of the competition they walked into the makeshift contest kitchen with a determination that made their vision tunnel. Rey insisted on matching blue aprons. Ben made sure they were suggestive text free. There were ten cooking stations already waiting, as well as the jury table and spectator seats.

The jury was headed by Holdo herself, no surprise there. At her right sat Akbar and at her left Maz Kanata, last year’s winner, also with the highest number of wins under her belt. The contestants took their allocated places.

“Rose is here, too?” Ben’s eyebrows shot up in surprise when he spied the girl with her sister in matching aprons. “I didn't realize.”

“Paige decided to enter at the last minute,” she whispered to him. “And look, that's Kaydel and her dad,” she subtly pointed toward a blonde girl with braided buns and a bearded man. “Those,” she pointed toward a sweet middle-aged couple, “are the Erso-Andors. That's the Mitakas.” Rey nodded toward two guys, one shy and dark-haired, another smiley and blonde. “That girl is Bazine Netal,” she showed a woman who might as well be a supermodel and lowered her voice, “and I have no idea who wants her gluten-free hypoallergenic 100% organic cookies that taste like chalk. That's Tallie Lintra and her hubby. Those are the Krennic boys. And that's Mara Jade,” Rey indicated the woman with bright red hair, the only single participant. She must be a force to reckon with, Ben thought to himself. Then Rey’s whole body froze as she noticed none other than Plutt loitering around. “What the fuck?” she hissed.

Ben had the same question.

As if on cue, Poe quietly reappeared behind them.

“Guys, bad news. Plutt got qualified.”

“How?” Rey asked incredulously. “Outpost is in Jakku.”

“ _Between_ Naboo and Jakku,” Poe said apologetically. “I'm so sorry.”

“He doesn't even have permanent staff!”

“He does now.” Dameron nodded toward two very tall cooks in matching black uniforms. One was a pasty ginger man with a pinched expression that could either mean disdain or digestion problems, another a blonde woman whose nose was scrunched like she was scenting something foul. Both gave an impression of haughtiness and disapproval.

It took Ben a moment to realize why they seemed familiar.

“Fuck.”

“What?” both Poe and Rey turned to him with concern.

“Those are Armitage Hux and Gwen Phasma, chefs from the First Order,” he answered incredulously. The probability of Michelin star chefs working for a dingy diner were nonexistent.

“How...?”

“Snoke.” That had to be the answer. It seemed like a head game of his – make them doubt themselves, fail, bankrupt Naberrie’s, let Plutt have it, make Ben come back. Fury filled his every pore. He would never, _ever_ let the likes of Snoke and Plutt win. One look at Rey confirmed that she felt the same.

Poe checked his watch. “I have to go now. Give them hell.”

Across the room Plutt smirked.

“Teams,” Dameron announced, “your first task is to prepare three batches of different cookies. You have two hours. Your time starts,” his finger lingered over a big timer, “now!”

Rey urgently turned to Ben. “Kyber cookies! We must make Kyber cookies.”

“And ginger and cinnamon Space Spice.”

“Agreed. And Kessel twists.”

Ben nodded. “Let's go.” They only had so much time to find all the necessary ingredients in the pantry.

The next two hours were a blur. Now that Rey and he had gotten over their differences, they worked like a well-oiled machine, knowing exactly what and when to do so as not to be in each other’s way and to work toward one common goal. It felt like a dance, Ben thought, with both partners so attuned to each other. Before they knew it, the two hours had run out, leaving them tired, flour-covered, and with three neat batches of cookies.

The other teams did well, too, although Hux and Phasma looked like they didn’t even break a sweat, unlike the rest of them.

At last, it was their turn to present.

“Tell us about your choice,” Amilyn prompted them gently.

Ben decided to start. “Space Spice are old favorites and perfect for autumn,” he began, presenting the leaf-shaped cookies Rey had artfully decorated with glazed veins. It was her idea to make them look like leaves. “Ginger and cinnamon here encapsulate the seasonal experience.” 

The judges all took a bite and nodded, but whether it was good or bad, it was hard to say.

“Kessel Twists with mixed nuts are fun and known to be party favorites,” Rey presented the next cookie. “The whole plate would be gone in fourteen seconds.”

“Twelve,” Ben corrected. It was a running joke between his parents. The crunchy texture of the cookies was Han’s favorite; his sweet tooth was his family’s badly kept secret.

“And Kyber combines a soft crumbling texture with the jam in the heart,” Ben finished.

The delicate shortbread cookie had a strawberry jam center and was one of Rey’s specialties as he had discovered.

“Very good,” Akbar praised, stunning them completely as it was quite out of character.

Maz’s eyes blinked behind her huge glasses. “Remind me of my nonna's cookies.”

Rey squeezed Ben’s hand. They had hope now.

She didn’t let go of his hand all the time they waited for the results. He tried his best not to overthink it too much, Ben’s mind didn’t need a lot to go into the gutter because look, a pretty girl is holding his hand! If he had a tail, he would wag it like crazy. In the absence of it, Ben settled at rubbing her knuckles soothingly. Adrenaline ran high.

Finally, Poe came forth with the results.

“And the winners are: the Tico sisters!”

The girls hugged each other. Everyone cheered loudly.

“Erso-Andors!”

More cheers. The husband spun his wife in a circle with whoops.

“Solo-Johnson!”

Ben only had a second before Rey shrieked and threw herself at him. Did he lift her off the ground in excitement? You bet he did.

“Mara Jade!”

The woman blew the crowd kisses.

“Hux-Phasma!”

The two chefs stood calm and collected like statues, seemingly indifferent to the cheers. Hux’s eyes found Ben’s and the corner of his lips twitched in a smirk.

The game was afoot.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben face a tough competition and unexpected complications.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we have a bit of a natural disaster here. Yesterday all the snow melted and froze into a perfectly shiny, perfectly slippery, perfectly unsuitable to work over ice. it's HORRIBLE. You're lucky I'm in one piece to post this. No idea how I'm going to get back home tonight.😱 Boy, do I love winter...
> 
> Many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley.

“Here’s your order; have a good day!” Rey chirped, passing Mr. Dooku his Geonosis sugar buns, then promptly made a face at Ben. Making sure the man was out of earshot, she whispered, “Gosh, he’s so capricious, I swear, in his previous life he must have been a viscount, no less.”

“Him?” Ben snorted, remembering the man’s demands. “No, he was at least a very prickly count.”

That made Rey let out a peal of the prettiest laughter. It made his heart sing. Maker, this woman would be the death of him. He should do something about it, maybe ask her.…

“Hey, guys. What’s so funny?”

Right. Thanks, Finn.

“Just Dooku being Dooku,” Rey answered cheerfully, her sunny disposition unaffected by her demanding client. “How are you? I haven’t seen you for a while.”

Finn awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “Just busy. But not as busy as you,” he teased. “How are the preparations going?”

Rey shared a look with Ben and both winced. Brainstorming sessions were difficult so far. They had been informed that the next round would be a pie, but the details were left to them. “Going. We still haven’t picked what we want to make.”

“I see. You still have time, though,” Finn attempted to soothe her.

“I know, I just…” Rey sighed.

Ben knew she was really anxious. It was one thing to compete with fellow small bakeries and another with professional chefs. “How is Rose handling it?”

At the mere mention of her name Finn blushed. “Oh. She’s very stressed.” He lowered his tone conspiratorially. “Paige is in full terminator mode, determined to win solely by making traditional Vietnamese baked goods. She believes she owes it to her parents and Rose…” Finn’s smile turned sad, “you know her, always worries about everything.”

“Poor thing,” Rey murmured sympathetically. “I wish I could help. I should send her a care package. Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate,” she announced, picking the pastries from the display. Even Ben knew that chocolate was Rose’s kryptonite; anything, even plain Bantha Delight, would work.

Finn beamed. “That would be great. I can deliver it to her.”

“Can you?” Ben butted in with a smirk. “Do you have a meeting scheduled or what?”

“Well, sort of…” the man trailed off. “I’ve asked her out and she said yes.”

Now that was an unexpected turn of events. Rey squealed in delight. “Finally! I mean, I’m so happy for you two.”

Her friend looked bashful. “Thank you. That means a lot to me. I still can’t believe Rose said yes,” he smiled dazedly, looking every inch the besotted puppy he was.

Seemed like at least someone had the balls to do something about his crush.

Ben rolled his eyes in fake exasperation. “Finn, _every single person in Naboo_ knew she’d say yes.”

The man looked genuinely surprised. Rey used the moment to jab her partner in the ribs.

“Don’t be a spoilsport. On the house,” she proclaimed, handing Finn the paper bag.

He beamed at her.

“You’re the best, you know? Take care, guys.”

“Ah, young love,” Rey sighed wistfully after her friend departed. Ben perked up.

It sounded like a perfect opening.

“Nice, right?”

“Yeah, a date sounds fun,” she agreed.

Wow, wasn’t this a golden opportunity?

“I wouldn’t be opposed to one,” he tried to hint subtly.

Rey turned to him with an incredulous expression.

“ _You_ , Solo? You have no time to date right now, we have a competition to win.”

Ben blinked, stunned. That was _not_ what he meant. Was he that unappealing that she didn’t even consider herself to be his date?

“I meant…”

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” the girl ordered him sternly. “You’re stuck with _me_.”

He blinked, confused. “Of course, sweetheart.”

At least Rey wanted him around, that counted as something, right?

They should have known better than to relax when it came to Plutt’s threats. The man was petty, everyone knew that, and he lacked the finesse Snoke had. One early morning Ben and Rey came to work only to find out that someone had thrown a brick through their front window. The glass with the bakery name was lying in sharp shards on the floor like a mockery of their efforts to win the contest. Nothing seemed to be missing so it wasn’t a robbery, but still the damage was done.

“Who could have done that?” Rey asked faintly, tears evident in her voice.

“You know who,” Ben responded darkly. “Don’t touch it, you’ll cut yourself,” he warned when she tried to clean the shards. “I’m calling the police.”

Rey hadn’t lied when she had said that Snap, Officer Wexley, was a friend. Unfortunately, it didn’t help much. Snap asked them a few questions, took some notes and photos, but didn’t seem too confident.

“I’m really sorry, but without proof we can’t do anything,” he said apologetically. “Pity you don’t have cameras. I’ll question Plutt, but…”

Rey nodded, dejected. “I understand. Thank you, Snap.”

The man squeezed her shoulder gently. “I’ll try my best. You know how my family loves this place.”

Rey only smiled sadly. It tugged at Ben’s heart to see her this down, her ever-present light diminished.

“What are we going to do?” she sniffed. “New glass will cost money we don’t really have. We can’t stay closed for long.”

Now _that_ was in his power to fix. Ben would do anything to make her smile again.

“It’s fine. I’ve already called Chewie,” he responded, trying to sound reassuring. Instead he only made her look alarmed.

“Ben! He can’t fix it for free,” she chastised him.

The man just smirked.

“I know, I’ll take care of it. I have money, you know,” he said. At least he would have a good cause to spend it on.

Rey looked at a loss for words. Poor girl was used to less generous treatment. Well, not anymore.

“The window is on my side of the shop anyway,” Ben teased her. “Just let me take care of it.” _Just let me take care of you._

Rey bit her lip unsurely, sending a hesitant gaze his way. “OK.”

It felt like the best victory.

The window incident only served to fuel their desire to win the competition. New glass installed, courtesy of Chewie, Ben and Rey were free to perfect the ultimate winning pie they were required to make in the next round. The discussions turned heated pretty quickly.

“We need a better idea,” Ben stood his ground despite any reasoning.

“Look, pumpkin is amazing,” Rey protested, folding her arms on her chest in preparation for the argument. It had a side effect of accentuating her chest in her pretty burgundy sweater, which was, well, distracting.

“Yes, and everyone will be doing that!” he argued, studiously looking over her left ear.

“And apple is so much better?” she retorted sceptically.

“It’s classic,” Ben insisted. “Do you want to do pecan or what?”

Rey sighed. “No. Peach?”

“I vote apple,” he affirmed.

“Fine, and what will we do when there are four other apple pies?” she quirked her eyebrow, looking so adorable it should be criminal.

Ben considered it. How could they distinguish themselves? “We need a better presentation.”

“Let me guess, the crisscross pattern won’t cut it.”

“Obviously.”

Rey frowned. “We have pattern cutters,” she suggested tentatively.

“No.” Any idiot could use a cutter, so what?

“Roses on top?” Rey suggested, watching Ben cringe. “Lame, I know.”

“Let’s think about it,” he suggested, passing her a sheet of paper for notes.

Pie designs turned out not to be their forte.

Minutes passed by. Ben rubbed his eyes tiredly. His head was empty. He glanced at Rey whose creative criss-cross patterns turned into flowers and trees. “What are you doing?” he asked curiously.

Rey admired her work. “Doodling. Helps with thinking.”

“I mean, what’s this?” he tapped the tree elegantly spreading its branches in a circle.

She frowned. “A tree, obviously. I’m not that bad, am I?”

“Sweetheart,” Ben pondered, “do you think we can do a tree? On the pie?”

Rey eyed her drawing, a frown appearing between her eyebrows. “I guess we can. We need a really sharp knife and some shaping tools.”

“On it.”

They used Anakin’s secret recipe as the basis for the pie itself. Rey then traced the pie dish on paper and drew a silhouette of the tree, then cut it out to trace on the pastry. With a sharp knife she managed to cut it out and carefully slid it onto the pie, already assembled by Ben.

The baked result turned out better than expected.

“It’s beautiful,” she declared, sniffling the delicious smell. Anakin’s recipes had never led them astray.

Ben looked at Rey’s happy face, nose scrunched in delight. “It is.”

Days flew by. The ultimate pie was coming along. No other windows were broken. Nothing screamed trouble, certainly not Finn’s appearance. Ben didn’t think twice of it, the guy was a staple of the bakery. Sure, he was a bit fidgety, but who wasn’t these days?

“Hey, Rey, can I talk with you for a moment?” he asked, unsure.

She smiled and nodded, before sitting at a nearby table with him.

It took Ben a few minutes to realize that something was wrong, noticing how tense Rey looked in her seat. His protective instincts activated, he inched closer.

“…please, it’s just until Christmas,” Finn begged with puppy dog eyes. “I wouldn’t have said anything, but you’re my best friend. You know how hard it is for Rose, and Paige goes ballistic because she’s fraternizing with the enemy and we’ve just started dating….”

“I’m the _enemy_?” Rey asked faintly and suddenly Ben wanted nothing more than to strangle Finn then and there.

How dared he suggest such a thing to a person with abandonment issues? The guy, to his credit, looked horrified.

“Oh God, no, Peanut, never, that’s not what I meant. You’re not my enemy, you just.…”

“Are competing with Rose,” Rey murmured, distraught. She looked exactly like someone who had fought this battle way too many times to bother again.

“Yes! I mean, no!” Finn rambled. “You’re not competing. Not with me. I just…”

“Picked Rose.” She looked seconds from crying and the man was getting the idea how badly he messed up.

“Rey, please.”

It was the last straw.

“No!” Ben growled at him, coming to her defense. “You’ve said enough.”

Finn now looked genuinely distressed. “I didn’t want to upset you, Peanut,” he rushed. “I thought it would be fine, you always…”

“What?” Ben snapped at him, wanting nothing more than to spare Rey from more hurt. “Always allows people to take advantage of her?! You know her background, you _knew_ , and you still asked for this? Get out.

“I’m so sorry,” Finn offered quietly. It was hardly any consolation.

“Out. Now.” With the man gone, Ben dropped to his knees, gently taking Rey’s hand. Tears were spilling out of her beautiful eyes, now that he was the only one to see them. “Hey, sweetheart.”

She sniffed, looking guilty. “Sorry, I just…”

Ben hugged her, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

“It’s OK. Let it out.”

It took her a moment to stop struggling.

“Why does no one wants to stay with me?” Rey sobbed into his chest.

Ben’s heart broke for her.

“I do, sweetheart,” he promised, pressing his lips to her temple. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Ben made her take off the rest of the day, despite her protests. It didn’t help much. In the following days Rey’s usual cheerfulness was gone. Her pesky friend seemingly couldn’t leave her alone either. Well, he wouldn’t be allowed to hurt her again.

“Can I talk to Rey?” Finn pleaded, like he had a right to do so.

“You cannot,” Ben responded flatly, wanting nothing more than to kick him out, no matter how pathetic he looked.

“I want to apologize.”

“Save it. You hurt her, knowing full well what you were doing.”

Finn recoiled. It was a cruel accusation, albeit a deserved one. “I didn’t…”

“You didn’t ask _Rose_ for a break, did you?” Ben stated. “No, you asked your friend with abandonment issues. That was just _shitty_.”

Finn tiredly rubbed his eyes. “I know. I was afraid that Paige… I fucked up.”

“You did?” Ben scoffed. “Then go think about it. And give Rey space.”

Disheartened, Finn walked away. A moment later Rey peeked from the kitchen, her usual bright smile nowhere to be seen.

“Who was that?”

“No one, sweetheart.” Ben responded. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her, not on his watch.

Finn didn’t try to ambush them anymore; Rose, unsurprisingly, was nowhere to be seen either. Without the need to fraternize with her ‘enemies’ Rey focused completely on the competition. Ben did his best to make her as comfortable as possible.

At last, the day came. Armored with their recipes, templates, and determination, they walked into the competition area with every intention to win. No one, not Plutt, not Snoke, not the Ticos would be able to stop them.

“Welcome to the second round of the Naboo Baking Contest,” Poe greeted the teams. “Today your task is to impress the judges with your pie. You have three hours. The time starts now!”

The devil was in the details, as always. So much sculpted, tiny precise work kept them too occupied to even think about the competitors. If not for Rey, Ben would have never managed to achieve what they did, the delicate texture of the tree bark, a beautiful array of leaves that looked just right, the colors that looked gorgeous and the mouth-watering fragrances of the pie. He was so proud of their work, of themselves. When the time was over, and the presentations were done, they waited for the judges to make a decision.

"We did well," he whispered to Rey. "You know we did."

She leaned into his side gratefully. "Thank you. I needed this."

Her eyes were large and soft when she looked up at him and Ben was really close to kissing her, just leaning down and... 

"Hi, Rey."

He groaned. _Rose._ Why her?

The girl looked shy and timid, unsure of her welcome.

"Can we talk?" she asked tentatively.

Rey leaned back into Ben's chest, not protesting when his arm covered her waist protectively. "Talk."

Rose swallowed. "I… I’m sorry for what we did, Finn and I. I know that it’s not an excuse, but I was so worried about Paige and lost sight of other people around me. We didn’t want to hurt you. We…" she turned back to her sister who was glaring daggers at her. "I should have stood up to Paige. Please, I’m so sorry."

Rey sighed deeply. Ben expected an outburst, but she surprised him again. "I forgive you."

"And Finn?" There's so much hope in Rose’s voice Ben has no idea how anyone could disappoint her.

"And Finn," Rey conceded.

Rose squeaked and threw herself at the girl. "You’re the best! Truly, you have the biggest heart of us all. Good luck," she said, giving them one last smile before heading to face her furious sister.

"She’s in trouble now," Ben remarked as the two Ticos started to argue quietly. 

"They’ll get through it," Rey answered knowingly. "Even if she’s grieving, Paige can’t always have her own way."

"She was right, you know. That you have the biggest heart."

She gave him a look that just filled his whole stomach with butterflies.

"You haven’t realized how big yours is."

All too soon, Dameron returned with the results, effectively putting the teams on edge.

"It’s time to announce our two finalists. The judges have made their choices. The winners are," he made a dramatic pause, "Hux and Phasma from Outpost!"

Uncaring about the cheers, Ben squeezed Rey's hand tighter. They had one shot at this. Just one.

"And Solo and Johnson from Naberrie’s!"

He whooped out of sheer excitement. Rey laughed joyously as he spun her in circles.

"We made it!"

They had. Despite everything, they had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [The pie](https://www.instagram.com/p/B_aIU48hWkb/)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last round of the competition is coming. Will Ben and Rey be able to save Naberrie's and figure their relationship out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the story is finally done! Many thanks for all your support and lovely comments and kudos! I hope this fic brought smiles to your faces and cheered you up during these uncertain times. It certainly cheered me up.
> 
> For born_awkward - yes, I sneaked it in. Can you spy it?
> 
> Many-many-many thanks to my amazing beta fulcrum_of_pemberley! That paragraph was just a doctor's order ;)

Since Ben hadn’t expected his life to become any less stressful after they made it to the finals, he wasn’t disappointed. Although he had to admit that _some_ things became better after that.

First of all, Finn was showing his face at Naberrie’s again without fear of getting his ass kicked. Rey, beautiful benevolent person that she was, has granted him a pardon, although tentatively. Rose spent a lot of time at Naberrie’s as well after the huge fight with her sister. She had finally come clean to Paige about her own feelings, and while it was a hard and painful conversation, it made both girls reconsider a lot. It was still tough, but they had started to heal, and that was what counted.

Ben’s family had sent them multiple photos of Christmas markets around Austria where they were currently staying. It had become clear that they wouldn’t make it back before the last round of competition and, surprisingly, he found himself disappointed. Rey missed Leia and Luke and Han, too. They could really use their support and expertise when it came to winning competitions, but for now they contented themselves with long-distance hugs. What was the point of dwelling on something unattainable when they had a bigger fish to catch?

Their final round task was a true challenge, and seasonal to boot. The jury must have been exceptionally proud of themselves this year.

“Gingerbread house,” Ben groaned again. “How are we going to build a freaking gingerbread house under pressure?”

Rey, looking like Santa’s little helper in her pretty green dress, smiled at him. Predictably, his heart skipped a beat.

“Practice, practice, and...”

“Let me guess, practice,” he mumbled, pouting.

“Yup,” she beamed, unperturbed. “Have you never made them before?”

“What? Tiny houses out of dough?” Ben asked incredulously. “Have you seen my bear paws?” He lifted his hands in the air to emphasize the point. “I happen to have thick fingers.”

To his surprise Rey blushed.

“I happen to like them. I mean in general,” she stammered, turning tomato red. “Those are very nice fingers. Very large.” Realizing what she just said, she closed her eyes in mortification.

He smirked. So at least she loved _some_ parts of him. He could work with that. “Uh huh.”

“Anyway, the real question is whether we should bake and then decorate or decorate and then bake?” Rey hastily changed the topic.

Ben decided to spare her from further mortification.

“Like you said, practice, practice and...”

“Yeah, practice.”

They had a lot of work to do.

The kitchen soon became a veritable mess of templates, schemes, half-assembled little houses, and icing. Rey had an impressive mind when it came to engineering, Ben had to admit. Then again, when was she less than perfect at anything?

“Do you think Leia and Luke will make it in time?” the girl wondered, piping delicate looking tiles on the roof.

Ben shrugged, trying and failing to ice a snowman.

“Last time I checked they were in Austria. A continental Christmas is very pretty, they say.”

“I just wish they were here,” she sighed wistfully.

“Me too,” he admitted. As weird as it was, he missed his family.

Rey looked at him from under her lashes.

“After this is over we're going to have a drink.”

“Are you buying?” Ben teased her.

“Well, I think _you_ owe _me_ a drink, especially after everything, you scoundrel,” the minx smirked.

“I might buy you a full dinner,” he shot back playfully.

Rey, never to shy away from a challenge, beamed.

“I might even like that.”

Ben’s head shot up so fast something in his neck cracked. “Yeah?” he asked hopefully.

Her smile was blinding. “Yeah.”

The baking felt much more fun after that. They kept throwing covert glances at each other, wondering what the other one exactly meant, talking about dinner. Ben hoped it was a date. He wanted a real date with Rey, and had been wanting that for a while. And he really hoped Rey was on the same page.

“I was thinking,” she started, biting her lip.

“Sounds dangerous,” Ben teased.

Rey slapped his forearm playfully.

“Christmas is all about traditions, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So we do a traditional Alderaanian gingerbread and use your grandmother's secret icing.”

He gave her a curious look. “Right....”

“How about we shape the house like Naberrie's?” Rey suggested, waiting for his reaction.

Ben’s brows shot up.

“We can do that?”

“Who's stopping us?” she smiled.

It actually sounded like a really great idea. It was something the jury would definitely love, something straight out of a Hallmark movie. So Naboo. So Christmassy. Just perfect.

“Sweetheart, you're brilliant,” he breathed out, amazed with her creativity.

Rey beamed

“I want that in writing.”

That cheeky little minx. After they won, they were going to have so much fun with each other.

On the final day of the competition Ben and Rey found themselves rather antsy. A lot was riding on their victory. Objectively speaking, there was no need to be all that dramatic – Naberrie’s had attracted some attention recently, which had immediately been reflected in their sales. Between Ben’s business acumen and Rey’s creativity the bakery was going to be safe.

But it was a point of pride. They wouldn’t let themselves be bullied, either by Plutt or professional chefs. Not Naberrie’s.

The two were so inside their heads they didn’t even notice the group of people waiting for them right away. Ben reacted first, blinking in confusion as he recognized them.

“Mom?!” he asked incredulously.

Rey perked up.

“Leia? Luke?”

“Dad?”

The trio smiled sheepishly and proceeded to give them long overdue hugs.

“How?” Rey asked with a laugh, unable to believe their luck.

“We took an early flight to surprise you,” Leia explained with a wide smile.

“But you wanted to see a continental Christmas,” Ben frowned at them.

“Silly, we wouldn't miss this for the world,” his mother reassured.

He was stunned. His parents had prioritized him, _them_ , over anything else. Incredible.

“We are what you have grown beyond,” Luke proudly proclaimed what was probably his version of an olive branch.

Rey and Ben shared a confused look.

“He means you've got it, kids,” Han clarified with a smirk.

“Thank you.” 

“Now go give those pasty asses hell,” he winked. That was the best blessing they could ever hope for.

The two of them entered the hall hand in hand.

“Are we ready?” Ben asked for the last time.

Rey gave him a confident grin. “We are. We _so_ are.”

“Good luck,” Hux sneered from his own station, staring down at them. “You'll need it.”

The battle of the century was about to begin.

“Teams,” Poe announced with a charming smile, “your task is to build a gingerbread house. You have four hours. Your time begins _now_!”

All four contestants immediately jumped into motion. The competition had started.

Building and decorating a house was an even bigger challenge than making a pie and they barely had time to do everything the way they had imagined.

Ben assembled the gingerbread ingredients while Rey gathered everything she would need for the intricate decorations they had in mind. Along with the traditional gumdrops and peppermints, their creation would also feature hand-piped icing, homemade candy, and edible sugar glass for the trademark front window. No one would doubt for a second what exactly their house resembled.

The miniature Naberrie’s was coming along just as they imagined. All of their practice paid off as they moved smoothly about their kitchen space, two working as one. Rey and Ben were so in the zone of their meticulous artistry that they were both surprised to realize they were finished - and right on time.

It was only after time was up that Ben was able to look over at his competitors and was stunned by the futuristic-looking shape of their creation. Hux and Phasma looked unbelievably smug. He gulped.

But their own turn to present came first.

“What do we have here?” Akbar asked with interest.

“This is our bakery, Naberrie's, er, its miniature copy,” Ben amended, nervous from all the pressure.

Rey hastily came to his aid. “We decided to recreate our shop because it's a place we both feel at home,” she told them with a soft smile. “This is where Ben spent his childhood and I’ve had my happiest memories; it means the world to us.”

“We used a traditional Alderaanian recipe my mother inherited from her godmother and the icing my grandmother came up with,” Ben added as the judges started nibbling on conveniently placed cookie trees to avoid ruining the house. “Naberrie's is our home, our past, and our future. We wanted to share it with you.”

Holdo smiled at them fondly, always one for sentimental things. “Very well done, thank you.”

Rey squeezed Ben’s hand, searching for support. He hoped that they had done enough.

“Next team,” Poe requested.

Hux and Phasma showed zero trepidation, only pure self-assured confidence.

“We thought that gingerbread houses are old-fashioned and boring,” he delivered, completely ignoring the frown etched between Holdo’s brows, “so allow us to introduce a gingerbread spaceship, the house of the future.”

Phasma took her cue. “We used elements of molecular culinary...”

It was clear that those two were in a league of their own. Never in the history of Naboo had anyone attempted molecular gastonomy in the competition.

“We're screwed,” Ben muttered quietly.

Rey squeezed his hand.

“Don't be like that.”

“We have to win,” he insisted, thinking about everything they had gone through.

She gave him an odd look.

“The victory isn’t everything.”

Before Ben could ask what she meant, they were startled by no other than Maz Kanata.

“Ginger,” she exclaimed loudly, making the cooks jerk. “Not you, Mr. Hux. Zingiber officinale, or rather its root,” she proclaimed, blinking owlishly behind her glasses. “Where is it?”

Hux scowled. “Right in there. Phasma added it with the other dry ingredients,” he responded haughtily. 

“No, _you_ added it with the cinnamon and other spices,” his teammate argued, “you didn't let me mix them in.”

He told the woman with annoyance. “I sure as hell told you to add the ginger with the sugar!”

Phasma put her hands on her hips belligerently. “Excuse me, I was responsible for measuring with cups, not with spoons!”

Hux opened his mouth to give a biting reply when Akbar interjected.

“Do I understand correctly that you have forgotten to add ginger into your gingerbread?”

The man opened and closed his mouth several times, the color high on his cheeks.

“Well, there's a theoretical possibility...”

It only took a minute for the questioning to turn into a full-blown fight. The chefs raised their voices to accuse each other and argued with the judges on whether or not their creation fulfilled the competition’s demands. In the meantime, Poe rushed Ben and Rey behind the scenes until the issue was sorted out, to avoid an even bigger fight.

The girl turned to Ben with wide eyes.

“Does this mean that we won?”

He worked his jaw, thinking. “I don't know. We might.”

Whatever Rey wanted to say next was promptly forgotten as they spotted a newcomer approaching them.

“Well, well, well. Long time no see,” Ben’s former boss greeted him with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Mr. Snoke.” He didn’t bother with niceties. “What are you doing here?”

The man smiled benignly. “What else? Checking on my employees.”

“They’re right there,” Ben helpfully pointed at the yelling cooks.

Snoke’s smile thinned. “Oh, not them, my boy, you.”

Not that again. When would the man just give up?

“I told you before...”

“I know. You were right,” Snoke delivered with honesty, leaving Ben so stunned that his jaw hit the floor. Never in his life had the man thought himself wrong. “Being a manager doesn't suit you, it’s a waste of your talent. But what if I offer you the position of pastry chef in the Knight?” he suggested.

“The teahouse?” Ben asked incredulously. The Knight was so high-end, how could he even be considered for such a position?

“The _luxury_ teahouse,” Snoke tempted him. “Royalty attends it. Who knows Naberrie's?”

“Sir, I...”

“Think about it,” the man said almost seductively. “What do you have here? Nothing. Same old, same old. Faces that never change, family that doesn't care for you, a girl who uses your talent.”

“That's not true!” Rey cried out furiously.

“Is it?” Snoke raised his eyebrow questioningly. “Say you're telling the truth. So what?” He turned toward Ben, his eyes ablaze. “You'd work day and night in a tiny shop in the middle of nowhere, have a drink on the weekends, get an offspring or two, a picket fence, a boring provincial life? That's what you want?” The man shook his head. “You have nothing to hold you here. Nothing.”

“That's a fucking lie!” Rey didn’t stop to consider her words. She jabbed Snoke in the chest with an accusing finger, every inch a furious little hellcat. “He has friends, family, people who love him, _me._ You know what? Let Ben decide.”

With that she resolutely turned to him, grabbed him by the collar, dragged him down and planted a very sound, very _not_ chaste kiss on his lips, effectively turning his world upside down.

Ben’s head spun as he straightened back up. It was everything he ever wanted. He gasped for air, dazed and stunned. They both looked at him expectantly, the man who offered everything he had worked for and the woman who occupied his every thought.

“I... You're right,” Ben turned to Snoke, ignoring the look of betrayal on Rey’s face. “A boring provincial life is _exactly_ what I want.”

His former boss had inadvertently seen right through him. He _wanted_ a cozy bakery in a sweet little town, he _wanted_ slow evenings with friends and family, to put a pretty ring on Rey’s finger, to give her a cute house with a porch swing, to teach their kids how to make Falcon cookies.… Kylo Ren might not need any of that, but Ben Solo did.

“Sorry to disappoint you, sir, but you're wasting your time on me,” he said honestly, tugging Rey’s lithe body into his arms and knowing he was doing the right thing. “There are other people who would kill for such an opportunity. Just not me.”

He saw the exact moment Snoke lost any hope to win him over, when he realized the futility of his efforts.

“Fools, both of you,” the man threw at them angrily before storming off. 

Ben took a deep breath. He was free. And Rey had kissed him. On the mouth. First. It was his moment to confess his feelings. Surely, that kiss meant something. Not just a ‘fuck you, Snoke’ or a ‘thank you,’ something else, something more. He swallowed.

“Rey, I…”

She smiled at him. “I feel it, too.”

This time it wasn’t rushed or abrupt. Ben leaned down, cupping Rey’s cheek as she raised on her tiptoes. They met each other in the middle, their lips joining together in a promise of something new, something fulfilling and beautiful. Soon a soft gentle kiss became less so as Rey nibbled on his lip and his free hand lowered to her shapely bottom and…

“Ahem!”

They jumped apart, sheepishly looking at an exasperated Poe.

“Guys, we've been calling you for a few minutes. Could you please... not,” he gestured toward their rather enthusiastic public display of affection.

They both flushed. “Right.”

No need to get carried away right now, they had time for that later.

Flustered and happy, they followed Poe hand in hand, ready to meet whatever life was throwing their way. They didn’t have to wait long.

“And the winner of the Naboo Annual Baking Contest is… Ben Solo and Rey Johnson from Naberrie's!”

With an excited squeal Rey threw herself into Ben’s waiting arms, their lips meeting in a triumphant kiss, to the delight of the audience. Everyone cheered loudly, save for a couple of disgraced Michelin star chefs, who still tried to argue with the judges. Soon their friends and family surrounded them to offer congratulations. Naberrie’s was safe. Life was great. They won, in the best way possible.

***

“…and our esteemed judges are Mayor Holdo and Rey and Ben Solo!” Poe announced. The spectators whooped and cheered, not surprising with them being somewhat akin to celebrities.

Their love story was the talk of the town, just a romantic fairy-tale, until someone figured out the identities of Hux and Phasma, professional cooks who lost to simple bakers. The news made it to a local newspaper and from there it went viral. Unsurprising – the story had everything, including a prodigal son reformed by a town sweetheart and an adversary sponsored by a big business. Suddenly Naboo and Naberrie’s became a popular tourist destination.

It got even better from there. Ben hadn’t thought twice when a nice guy named Rian ordered a peanut butter and chocolate chip Fulcrum cupcake and chatted a bit with him and Rey, but it turned out he was a big deal director who was gathering his inspiration for a new movie. It would feature enemies-to-friends-to-lovers joining forces to defeat a soulless corporation in a baking contest and there may or may not be a murder involved. The guy from Galaxy Wars was cast as the main hero and the whole womankind of Naboo was _ecstatic_.

Naberrie’s was doing so well they had to hire extra help to manage everything. Ben was doing even better. He didn’t waste any time putting a ring on Rey’s finger and they acquired a nice house not far away from his parents. It was everything he ever wanted and more. And now they even got to judge the fateful contest.

Traditionally a representative from a previous year’s winning team was a judge during the next year. Unfortunately, Akbar managed to break his leg, so Ben was asked to take his place. From the jury’s table everything looked different. Some faces never changed, like the Andors or the Connixes, and some did, like Finn helping Rose now that Paige had decided to finish her degree, or Luke assisting Mara Jade. Ben was still stunned how his perpetually aloof uncle had managed to charm the sassy redhead, although it was quite clear who called the shots in the relationship.

From the corner of his eye Ben watched as his gorgeous wife played with her wedding ring, a new habit she had developed. He absolutely loved seeing it on her finger, it drove him wild that everyone knew who put it there. Discreetly, Rey’s hand slid to her still flat abdomen. They shared a little smile. It was their own small secret for now, just between the two of them. Soon to be three. His hand quietly slid down to join hers. Yes, there wasn’t much more Ben could want in life.

The bakers took their assigned places. Poe turned on the microphone.

“Your first task is to bake three different batches of cupcakes. You have three hours. Your time begins now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap!
> 
> Will there be another Christmas-themed story? Yes, there will be ;)


End file.
